LAS VEGAS – Defense continues to be the theme of Campbellsville University's early season, as the 26^th ranked Tigers held yet another team well below its scoring average Saturday, defeating No. 6 Concordia University Irvine (Calif.), 59-55, in the Tip-Off Classic.

CU men's basketball held the Eagles to 30 points below their 2012-13 scoring average (85 ppg) and to 33.9 percent shooting from the floor. It was Concordia's lowest field goal percentage in its last 75 games and fewest points scored since 2009. The defensive effort came less than24 hours after Campbellsville held Vanguard University to its lowest point total in more than a decade in a 58-42 Tiger win.

Campbellsville opens the season holding their opponents to 27.5 percent shooting through two games.  

"The last two games are about as well as we can play defensively," said Keith Adkins, CU head coach. "That's our goal. Our offense, with so many new guys, is going to be up and down. Right now we have to concentrate being really good defensively, and that's what we've done. We held in check two of the best scoring GSAC (Golden State Athletic Conference) teams and we're proud of that, but we have a responsibility to make sure we're not turning it over so much."

On the other end of the court, Campbellsville shot 45.9 percent in the game and 50 percent from the 3-point arc (7-of-14) and won the rebound battle, 35-31.

"We're shooting the ball extremely well, we just can't get in position where we're getting the shot up. We're turning it over way too much," Adkins said.

Turnovers are one of the few things that happened in Vegas, the Tigers hope stays in Vegas.

After turning the ball over 24 times against Vanguard, CU turned it over 24 more times Saturday. Many of those turnovers came in the first half.

Campbellsville took an early 8-4 lead, but the two were knotted at 17-17 with 9:25 remaining in the first half. Five straight turnovers helped Concordia take an 18-17 lead, which later grew to seven points, 25-19, with 4:49 left in the opening half.

The Tigers kept the Eagles within five points for most of the remaining minutes before taking a 32-27 lead into halftime. Adkins credits' junior guard Darius Clement for a large effort in the first half. He finished the game with 10 points off the bench.

"Darius Clement was really, really good. Darius got really aggressive offensively and did a great job," Adkins said.

Concordia regained its lead, 39-36, with 13:32 to play, but Campbellsville responded with a 7-0 run to go up 43-39 with 11:42 left. The lead remained until Concordia tied it, 50-50, with two minutes to play.

Junior guard Bryton Taylor, who hit a big 3 for the Tigers to keep their lead with about five or six minutes left, hit his third 3-pointer of the game with 27 seconds remaining to create a 57-52 cushion. Taylor finished with a career-high 13 points off the bench to lead the Tigers.

Down the stretch, A'Darius Pegues blocked a potential game-tying 3-point attempt by Concordia's DeLaun Frazier. Concordia hit three free throws in the final 19 seconds to pull within two, 57-55. Campbellsville had two defensive stops in the final 10 seconds with Clement and Eric Gaines each hitting 1-of-2 from the line to stretch the margin of victory to four points. Gaines also finished in double figures for CU with 10 points.

CU wrapped up its first road trip of the season with some sightseeing Saturday night and are scheduled to return home Sunday evening.

"It was a great trip. It's been a fun trip. It's big for us to get off to a good start. Finishing 2-0 in this tournament and then coming home we have six of our next eight regular season games at home, and one on a neutral court in Gallatin County," Adkins said. "We've put ourselves in a good position, but we have to continue to show progress."

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